Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've bought one new car, and washed it religiously year round. At the car wash in the winter and in the driveway in the summer. The car wash I used had touchless and self serve booths. Problem with the touchless was that I have small cars and it would never get the back very clean. I always dried it by hand before heading home and would tape up the door locks because otherwise they'd freeze.
The self serve one was better for washing the whole car but I could only do the undercarriage with the touchless.
I was also able to garage it about half the time and for a few years I had was in a parking garage at work.
Guess what? The car still rusted in all the normal spots for that car within 10 years. And this was before the liquid salt was being used.
Washing doesn't hurt but if you drive a lot in the winter I think you're a bit doomed anyway. Boy do I miss $500 winter beaters.
There is ample data that suggests frequent commercial car washes are damaging to your car's exterior finish, at least the type that utilizes spinning brushes or soft clothes. They are not cleaned from one vehicle to another therefore dirt is transferred via the brushes/clothes. That dirt, in addition to the dirt that has already accumulated since the last wash, serves as an abrasive, stripping away at your vehicle's clear coat.
I don't live in the rust belt but I do love cars and it seems to be that the best way to protect your vehicle is to have an annual protective undercoating applied. I have also seen a water broom made by Ryobi that seems like it could be beneficial without affecting your auto's exterior finish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ManApplet
Use a touch-less system. And no doubt getting the salt and what not off is critical to rust prevention. Use your hose in spring. Do not spare the water. Get under there and blast away.
Brushless car washes are no better; if anything they're worse. The detergents they use are much harsher because they have to do more of the cleaning on their own versus the assistance of brushes. Over time this will accelerate the dulling/fading of the car's finish.
Modern tunnel wash use closed-cell foam brushes that are not absorbent and don't collect dirt. They will still leave micro-abrasions on your finish over time but not nearly as quickly as the bad old tunnel washes of yore. And those micro-abrasions are a lot easier to correct than dulled/faded paint.
If you machine wash the car, your paintjob will damage faster than not washing the car. Because those machines are abrasive and pushes debris on your paint.
For longevity of top coats the car must be hand washed and a lead detox chemical should be used a few times a year.
Salt isn't the fastest to damaging your car. It's the metals on the ground that often cling to your paint and over time it becomes acid forming and depletes the top coat and then creates the tiny nicks that becomes rust if it penetrates the paint.
If you live in a snowy/icy climate, washing a car in your own driveway can be a hassle because water in a bucket can freeze before you can use it. It also freezes to the car (including windows and other rather important moving parts) before you can effectively wipe it down. Not to mention turning your driveway into a skating rink for months at a time. Ask me why I know...
Been there, done that............
Quote:
Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo
......Washing doesn't hurt but if you drive a lot in the winter I think you're a bit doomed anyway. Boy, do I miss $500 winter beaters.
I had a few of those, too, over the years. What I don't miss, however, was having to say a few prayers, every morning during the winter, hoping that the "beater" would start, and get me to work.....
Salt is extremely corrosive....get it off your car! That said, having grown up and lived in the rust belt, I always had a beater in the winter time!!! That was the best rust preventative for the car I cared about!
I had a few of those, too, over the years. What I don't miss, however, was having to say a few prayers, every morning during the winter, hoping that the "beater" would start, and get me to work.....
Yes but it was a second car. Worse case I could take the "good" one. I drove a couple of those beaters for many years!
Yes but it was a second car. Worse case I could take the "good" one. I drove a couple of those beaters for many years!
I couldn't do that, as once I took the "good" car off the road, the liability insurance also came off of it. And for a couple of winters, the car was even stored at my house.
I couldn't do that, as once I took the "good" car off the road, the liability insurance also came off of it. And for a couple of winters, the car was even stored at my house.
I used to drop insurance too, but I just had to call my agent and they'd make the switch for me. Lucky you were able to store it elsewhere
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
